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The information and communications technology (ICT) sector in Hong Kong has enormous business potential with world-class hardware and software, government support and proximity to the fast growing market in Mainland China, said the Director of Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Toronto, Miss Gloria Lo.
Speaking today (May 27, Kitchener Time) at the ICT seminar organised by Invest Hong Kong in Kitchener, Ontario, Miss Lo remarked that Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government has clear policy direction and measures to foster the development of ICT in the city and to unleash business potential in this sector.
"The Government's Digital 21 Strategy sets out the blueprint for overall Hong Kong's ICT development," Miss Lo said. "It outlines how Hong Kong will leverage on ICT to drive economic and social development. The Strategy seeks to make Hong Kong a smarter city and bring smarter living to our community."
Currently, Hong Kong has an extensive and effective Wi-Fi network with about 10 000 hotspots across the city providing completely free or partially free Wi-Fi services. The number will be doubled to 20 000 by the end of the year. This will not just benefit the Hong Kong residents but also help visitors explore great places to go and fun things to do.
According to the recent Asia Pacific Data Centre Index published by International Data Corporation in March 2014, Hong Kong ranked the number one location in Asia Pacific for setting up data centres. Hong Kong also took the lead in Asia in the Global Innovation Index and the Data Centre Risk Index.
Miss Lo also noted that Hong Kong is the pioneer for adopting the technology of "Internet of Things", which originates from the use of RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technology for object tracking. "Notable examples of this application include baggage handling system in our international airport, which is the largest scale of such application in the world; traffic management system, particularly the control of traffic lights; as well as detection of leakage of water pipes and landslide monitoring. They make Hong Kong a smarter city and build a smarter way of living," Miss Lo said.
Another exciting initiative for the business sector is the support for technology startups. The newly-launched interactive portal, iStartup@HK, serves as a platform for startups to market their products and reach out to potential investors. Relevant institutions in Hong Kong like the Cyberport and the Hong Kong Science Park have also been providing all-rounded support for technology startups.
Chief Operating Officer of the Cyberport, Mr Mark Clift, is another guest speaker at the seminar. In promoting to the ICT professionals in Canada about the Cyberport, an ICT hub serving Hong Kong and the Asia-Pacific region, he noted that the Cyberport is a low density environmentally- friendly campus on the shore of the South China Sea.
"It is a melting pot for European, North American, Mainland Chinese and Hong Kong companies to come together to create digital content and develop applications," Mr Clift remarked, adding that the port is also regarded as an ideal cost-effective "entry point" for overseas companies seeking to develop their Asian or China strategies.
A 24-hectare site located just 15 minutes by car to Central and 35 minutes away from the city's international airport, the Cyberport currently has 84 tenants, 24 onsite incubatees and 141 Smart-Space users. The occupancy rate is 94 per cent. The tenants include companies of diverse origins and sizes and at different stages of development, such as Microsoft and Microsoft BizSpark Centre, IBM Research Lab engaging in cloud computing, Cisco, Eurosport, TV5, Centro Digital (Disney Studios), Sanrio Digital, etc.
Miss Lo also remarked that Hong Kong has a large pool of ICT professionals and strong protection of data security, privacy and intellectual property rights. While Hong Kong itself provides a great market, it also serves as the unique gateway for access to the enormous and fast growing market in Mainland China.
"Last year, the Chinese authorities selected 90 cities as the pilot cities for China's smart city project with an investment of over CAD$10 billion in the next three years. This announcement prompted some Mainland ICT-related companies to set up business in Hong Kong to help them go global," Miss Lo elaborated.
In the next two days, Miss Lo will speak at the M&A Forum in Quebec City to promote the trade and financial services in Hong Kong. She will join hands with the Hong Kong-Canada Business Association (Montreal Section) and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council to give an update on Hong Kong at a lunch workshop in Montreal.
Ends/Wednesday, May 28, 2014
Issued at HKT 08:31
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